The Queen talks to Pastor Kofi Banful and Jayne Banful in the garden of Buckingham Palace (Image: PA)

It is not known exactly what would have been heard without the umbrella but it is likely that had it not been raining The Queen would have been spared the embarrassment of her remarks being made public.

Her comments to Police Commander Lucy D'Orsi were censored in China yesterday (Wed) as officials tried to downplay suggestions of a diplomatic row.

They chatted at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party on Tuesday after being introduced by Earl Peel, Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household.

When he said Ms D'Orsi had been Gold Commander for the State Visit, the monarch quipped: "Oh, bad luck."

He told the Queen the officer had been "seriously undermined by the Chinese" in their handling of the visit, but added that she had managed to "hold her own".

Guests shelter under umbrellas (Image: PA)

As Ms D'Orsi asked if she knew it had been a "testing time", the Queen interjected: "I did."

The officer described how Chinese officials walked out of a meeting at Lancaster House with Barbara Woodward, British ambassador to China, telling them the trip was off.

The Queen said: "They were very rude to the ambassador."

Separately, it is understood Peter Wilkinson had a particularly sensitive microphone on earlier in the day when he was filming David Cameron because he had just been recording tributes to the Queen which needed clear sound.

But he had changed this for the afternoon engagement and was using his usual microphone that he uses for every engagement with The Queen.